Verse 1 Nobody could quite remember... how Harold's tower started out. Some said, "Garden shed." Some said, "Study." One bloke swore blind it started life as a scout hut. But every time the church bells rang, or some new theory came, Harold bolted on another floor and gave the thing a name. Now railway clocks and weather vanes hung out at awkward angles, a steam-powered prophecy machine was tangled up with cables. A moon-phase synchroniser spun itself dizzy all day, while three mechanical brass pigeons kept escaping anyway. The townsfolk pointed up and laughed. "Still building then?" said I. They said, "Three new floors since Easter... one predicts headlines, one interprets church bells, and one watches clouds." Verse 2 [Clarinet answers the vocal phrases. Piano becomes more playful and busy.] A telescope was mounted on a grandfather clock frame. Two weathercocks were arguing about atmospheric change. A machine called The Tomorrowator banged loudly every hour. Nobody knew what it calculated. Not even Harold. A red-string navigation engine occupied floor three. Its sole purpose was connecting things that may or may not be. And somewhere near the summit a bell began to ring. At which point Harold shouted: "Traveller! Great Scott! I think I've nearly cracked the thing!" Pre-Chorus [Everything drops to piano, ticking clocks and one distant bell.] "Traveller!" Harold shouted, from somewhere overhead, "I've nearly got tomorrow working properly!" he said. A gear flew past. A clock struck twelve. Something started smoking. Then Harold cried, "I've found the flaw!" And promptly built another floor. Chorus [Full swing band. Brass stabs. Bells answer the vocal lines.] Tick-tock! Turn the wheel! Wind the springs! Hear the bells! Every time the church bells ring Harold builds another thing! Tick-tock! Up we climb! Past every clock and weather sign! Trying to learn tomorrow Before tomorrow knows the time! Verse 3 [Piano and clarinet trading phrases like a conversation.] The lower floors contained old dates Harold once had thought were near. Neatly labelled. Carefully filed. Still proudly hanging here. One sign read: FINAL CALCULATION Another: FINAL CALCULATION REVISED A third announced: ABSOLUTELY FINAL THIS TIME Which Harold had underlined at least five times. Every failed prediction became another room. Every unanswered question needed more construction. The tower kept on growing towards the evening sky, like hope held together mostly by brass and wondering why. Chorus Tick-tock! Turn the wheel! Wind the springs! Hear the bells! Every time the church bells ring Harold builds another thing! Tick-tock! Up we climb! Past every clock and weather sign! Trying to learn tomorrow Before tomorrow knows the time! Verse 4 [Music relaxes. More space. More curiosity.] At last I reached the highest floor. Or so I thought at least. Harold was building one more above the one beneath. Charts and gears surrounded him. Three telescopes aligned. I asked, "What does this machine do?" He said, *"I'm not entirely sure... but it seems very important."* Bridge [Everything slows. Soft piano, distant bell, warm strings underneath.] "Traveller," said Harold, as the gears began to slow, "People think I'm chasing answers." "Are you not?" "Not really." "What are you chasing then?" He looked out across the rooftops. The bells rang somewhere in the distance. Then quietly said: "I just don't like not knowing." For a moment all the ticking seemed softer somehow then. Not a man obsessed with certainty. Just a man who wanted when. Who hoped tomorrow made some sense. Who hoped there was a plan. Who kept on building higher because he thought the next floor might. Final Chorus [Biggest swing-jazz section. Full brass, clarinet, church bells and runaway piano.] Tick-tock! Turn the wheel! Wind the springs! Hear the bells! Every time the church bells ring Harold builds another thing! Tick-tock! Up we climb! Past every clock and weather sign! Trying to learn tomorrow Before tomorrow knows the time! Tick-tock! Round we go! Higher than the town below! Trying to fit eternity Inside calendars and time! [instrumental] Outro [Band falls away to piano, bells and ticking clocks.] As I turned to leave, Harold called from overhead. "Traveller!" "What now?" "I've made a breakthrough!" I looked back. He held up a fresh chart, covered in notes, covered in arrows, covered in hope. "Does it explain everything?" He stopped. Thought carefully. Then smiled. "Not yet." A spring flew loose. A bell rang twice. A weather vane spun round. And somewhere above, the sound of hammers started up again. [Runaway piano races away as another floor is being built.]
